Combination sculling and surfboard



April 16, 1968 E. MALM 3,377,977

COMBINATION SCULLING AND SURFBOARD Filed June 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

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INVENTORJ ELOF MAM April 16, 1968 E. MALM 3,377,977

COMBINATION SCULLING AND SURFBOARD Filed June 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ELOF MALM United States Patent 3,377,977 CGMBINA'I'IGN SCULLING AND SURFBGARD Elof Malm, 4499 NW. th Ave., Boca Raters, Fla. 33432 Filed June 24, 1165, Ser. No. 561,317 4 Claims. (Cl. 11528) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My invention relates to a combination sculling and surfboard which may be used as a manually propelled craft or may be used to ride the surf due to the propelling action of the waves.

The combination sculling and surfboard of my invention contemplates a flotation body member of suitable size and configuration to facilitate its use in both categories. Located midway between the stern and stem of the body member, is journaled by means of a ball and socket joint, an oar or paddle which when it is in its operative position, and is motivated by the occupant, will propel the body member in a direction under the control of the occupant. Located on the top and underside of the body member and extending longitudinally with respect to marginal edges thereof, are recesses for the reception of the oar or paddle, which is locked in position therein when the device of my invention is used as a surfboard or during transportation.

This invention relates to water crafts, and more particularly to scullbonrds, and an object of the present invention is to provide improved propelling means for use in conjunction with scullboards or like crafts for manually propelling same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a scullboard, which can readily be propelled by a single oar r a flipper type arrangement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a scullooard, a buoyant member equipped with a single car, so constructed that the oar may readily be secured in the body of the buoyant members, whenever the propelling means are not used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a scullboard, equipped with one oar so it may be sculled and steered in any direction, within certain limits making it possible to propel and steer the scuilboard in any direction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a scullboard, equipped with a single oar, so constructed that the user may sit or stand on the scullboard using the oar in either position, facing forward or aft.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a scullboard, equipped with a flipper "in type propelling means, particularly adaptable for children.

As is perhaps well known, in the ancient art of sculling, the oarsman would stand in the stern of the boat facing aft, placing the scull-oar in the row-lock, then with a slight twist on the sculloar handle force the Scull-oar blade to cut the water angularly reciprocating from left to right, displacing the water and thereby propelling the craft forward and in the direction desired.

Other aims and objects of this invention will become evident from a study of the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a buoyant member, a scullboard, embodying features of the present invention, with a surfer in standing position.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view partly in crosssection taken along the fore and aft plane of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are sectional views showing the journal members.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of a Scull-oar and the journal member.

3,377,977 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 FIGURE 6 is a modified form of the propelling means.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the dilferent views, and duplicate members are referred to respectively by the letter A after the numeral character for the upper side, and by the letter B after the numeral character for the lower side of the scullboard, and referring to FIG. 1 the numeral 10 designates a buoyant member, such as a surfboard, constructed with a scull-onr member 26, the buoyant member will be referred to as the scullboard, having a rounded forward end 11 or bow and a rounded rear end the stern 12, an opening extending vertically through the midcenter of the scullboard 10, as seen in FIG. 3 and is formed to support a journal box 14, shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, two arcuate grooves 15 on the upper side and 16 on the bottom side, extending longitudinal from the vertical 13. A bevel shaped cover member 19A having a depending upper section of a ball and socket joint half 20A and a depending integral arcuate shaped member 21A, provided and mounted over and in the vertical opening 13 and rigidly secured with screws 22A and 23A males fitting in the female screws 22B and 23B extending through the vertical bores 24 and 25 through the scullboard 10 as seen in FIG. 7, arcuate member portion 21A extending within groove 15, identical duplicates are made of cover member 19A providing the lower opposite side of the scull board 19 with an opposite cover member identifled as 1913, the lower section of a ball and socket joint 28B and the arcuate shaped member as 2113 extending within groove 16 facing aft. The propelling means consist of a scull-oar 26 comprising a broad blade 27, a depending elongated handle 28 and depending ball shaped journal member 29, the journal member 29 function as the fulcrum for the propelling means, one iron attractor plate 3'9 positioned on the upper end of the sculloar handle and one on the lower handle at 31, an inner handle 32 is provided to slide inside tubular scull-oar handle 28, said inner handle 32 may be raised and lowered as the situation requires, two aperture members each centered in circular grooves 33 and 34, said apertures and circular grooves spaced to receive a bullet type catch 35 as the catch passes the annular grooves, it will enter either the upper or the lower aperture depending on what position the user desires.

In the modified form as shown in FIG. 6, the construction is substantially the same, the only difference being in the propelling blade, the modified propelling blade comprises a flipper arrangement, a fin type blade 37, rigidly attached to the upwardly extending tubular handle 28, of same construction as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, attached to the lower end of the handle 28 is the abutter member 49 and the iron attractor plate 31.

In use, the Scull-oar 26 and the journal member may be used to propel a buoyant member in the form of a scullboard 11) through the water. A person may sit or stand upright on the scullboard and reach the scull-oar handle 32, FIG. 1 shows the surfer in standing position, the surfer grasps the handle with either hand, and the inner handle 32 is raised until catch 35 is again engaged in the aperture in the annular groove 34, enabling the surfer to stand upright and with ease scull and steer the scullboard. The journal members 19A, 20A and 21A 011 the upper side, and 19B, 29B and 213 on the bottom side are rigidly secured to said scullboard with male screws 22A and 23A fitting in the female screws 22B and 23B extending through vertical bores. The arcuate member 21A extends into arcuate groove 15 and guides the upper handle 28 into its housing in groove 15, again the arcuate member 213 on the bottom side extends into arcuate groove is and guides the lower handle 28 into its housing in groove 16. Two magnets are fastened by conventional means one at 17 within the forward end of groove 15 and one at 18 within the after end of groove 16 as shown in FIG. 4. When the scull-oar 26 is not operative the buoyancy of the scull-oar blade 27 and the lower handle 28 forces the oar to surface and will automatically trip into grooves 15 and 16 guided by the arcuate members 21A and 213, as the scull-oar 26 trips into the respective housing in the respective grooves, the magnets 17 and 18 will automatically attract to the attractor plates 30 and 31 conventionally secured on the handle 28 and will thus hold the scull-oar in its housing, while the surfer may ride the surf without support from the Scull-oar.

The modified form provides a flipper arrangement illustrated in FIG. 6, except for the modified fin type blade, the propelling means are substantially same as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the fin blade 37 attached to handle member 2 8 and provided with an abutter 40, when reciprocating in a fore and aft movement is adapted to displace water when the flexible fin is moved rearwardly resting on the abutter member 40, causing the buoyant member to move forwardly and to feather and reduce drag thereon as the fin is moved forwardly. An attractor plate is provided at 31, to hold the propelling means secured in its housing in the buoyant member, when they are not used.

In use the journal members 14 and the scull-oar 26 may be used'to propel a buoyant member in the form of a scullboard through the water. A person may lie on the upper scullboard with the propelling means 26 in closed position, secured in the arcuate grooves and 16, or he may be sitting or standing as shown in FIG. 1, operating the scull-oar with the handle 32 in extended position, reciprocating the handle from left to right slightly twisting the oar 26 forcing the blade 27 to cut the water angularly at each stroke, thereby displacing the water and propelling the scullboard in the direction desired. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the journal members 14 how the downward extending member A and the upward extending member 203 form a ball and socket joint journal-box 14, having openings extending perpendicularly upward and downward and therein carrying the journal member 29 and the propelling means 26, and admit rotary and reciprocating motions in every direction within certain limits. The scull-oar 26 comprises of a first class lever type with the journal member 29 as the fulcrum spaced midway on the handle member 28, the handle members 28 and 32 act as the efforts the scull-oar blade 27 acts as the resistance. The scull-oar will also serve as rudder for the scullboard, the length of the scull-oar should be in accordance with the size of the scullboard, the larger scullboard will be custom made to the individual surfer, with great consideration to weight and height, the scull-oar may be made in removably attached sections, from wood or any suitable material. The handle 32 is made of a diameter which permits convenient grasping with the hands of the user, the length of the handle is such as to permit convenient use thereof by a person in either upright or in sitting position.

When using the modified propelling means it will only be necessary to reciprocate the handle in a fore and aft motion, the fin type blade is pushed forward positioning it for a power stroke and as this movement occurs, the water displaced by the movement will force the fin member to leave its position adjacent to the abutter 40 and diverge or feather permitting relatively unrestricted forward movement. As the fin blade 37 is pulled rearwardly causing it to rest on the abutter 40 the water is pushed rearwardly causing the member scullboard 10 to be moved forwardly.

While the invention has been shown and described herein what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departure may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is now claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A buoyant weight bearing member including a scullboard, said scullboard is provided with a vertical propulsion device herein referred to as a scull-oar and carried on a ball and socket journal in a journal-box, said scullboard is provided midway its ends with a vertical opening and two arcuate longitudinally extending grooves,

said vertical opening formed to support a journal-box 7 comprising two bevel shaped cover members having ball.

and socket joint halves extending vertically half way on each side in the vertical opening and said upper cover member having depending arcuate shaped member extending forward and communicating with the upper longitudinal groove, a second cover member is provided for the lower side with the arcuate member extending rear ward and communicating with the lower longitudinal groove, said cover members rigidly secured with male and female screws extending through the vertical bores provided in the scullboard member, said ball and socket joint having openings extending perpendicular upward and downward therein carrying the journal and the Scull-oar whereby said journal and scull-oar have free horizontal rotation and vertical rotation within certain prescribed limits.

2. A buoyant weight bearing member as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arcuate longitudinal grooves are shaped so as to automatically guide the scull-oar into said grooves, each of said grooves having a magnet spaced so the magnetic field may reach the attractor plates mounted on each end of the scull-oar locked in its housing when the scull-oar is not in operation.

3. A buoyant weight bearing member as set forth in claim 2, having a scull-oar comprising a lever type elongated tubular handle provided with said ball shaped journal acting as a fulcrum in spaced relation with a broad blade attached to the lever handle member below the main plane of the buoyant scullboard, said lever type elongated handle provided with a sliding inner handle, said sliding inner handle provided with spaced apart latching means.

4. A buoyant weight bearing member as set forth in claim 3, having a scull-oar comprising a lever type elongated tubular handle and having at its rear end a flexible fin and provided with said ball shaped journal acting as a fulcrum in spaced relation with a broad blade attached to the lever handle member below the main plane of the buoyant scullboard, said lever type elongated handle provided with a sliding inner handle said sliding innot handle provided with spaced apart latching means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 392,209 11/1888 Lee 248182 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,623 1892 Great Britain.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Primary Examiner. 

